SANTIAGO CITY, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, October 2, called for a collaborative effort among parents, educators, and government authorities to combat rising violence in educational institutions, emphasizing the critical role families play in supervising their children.
Speaking during a visit to Patul Elementary School in Santiago City, Isabela, the President pointed to recent campus shootings in Tacloban, Zamboanga, and South Cotabato as alarming developments that demand heightened vigilance.
He appealed directly to guardians to maintain a watchful eye over the youth to keep them away from violent activities.
”Bantayan po natin nang mabuti ang ating mga bata, ang ating mga anak. Bantayan po natin na hindi sila nasasama sa mga ganyang klaseng kagagawan,” Marcos said.
The Chief Executive noted that protecting students from being drawn into violence requires continuous, collective effort across all levels of society.
”At ito po ay hindi madaling gawin, kailangan po nakabantay tayong lahat at sabay-sabay tayong lahat. Sabay-sabay, kasama ang mga magulang – siyempre kayo ang una na kailangan tingnan ninyo yung mga kabataan kung nagbabago, magiging masyadong malungkot o masyadong galit o lahat na, basta kailangan bantayan,” Marcos added.
Marcos reiterated that ensuring safe learning spaces is a shared obligation rather than a duty limited strictly to law enforcement, school staff, or state agencies.
”Kailangan po lahat tayo ay magkaisa tayo at magsama-sama tayo. Bantayan po natin nang mabuti ang ating mga kabataan,” he stated.
Earlier that day, during the mass oath-taking ceremony for 4,125 newly-hired and promoted Department of Education (DepEd) Region 2 personnel in Cagayan Valley, Marcos stressed that academic quality and campus security must be prioritized together.
”Kasabay ng pagpapahusay natin sa kalidad ng edukasyon, mahalaga na matiyak na ligtas ang ating mga paaralan,” Marcos remarked.
”Nakakabahala at nakakalungkot ang mga nangyayari sa seguridad sa ilang mga paaralan sa ating bansa. Kaya patuloy tayong nakikipagtulungan sa mga guro, magulang, at komunidad upang mapanatiling ligtas ang ating mga kabataan,” he added.
While at Patul Elementary School, President Marcos also inspected the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) modality of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), an initiative designed to enhance student health and well-being.
According to government figures released in September, over 82,000 educators and school heads nationwide have benefited from the administration’s career progression program.